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I. Except as provided in paragraphs II and III, all buildings, building components, and structures constructed in New Hampshire beginning one year after the effective date of the section, shall comply with the state building code and state fire code. The construction, design, structure, maintenance, and use of all buildings or structures to be erected and the alteration, renovation, rehabilitation, repair, maintenance, removal, or demolition of all buildings and structures previously erected shall be governed by the provisions of the state building code.
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II. Standards, including definitions, established by the most recent edition of the Life Safety Code, NFPA Doc. No. 101, shall take precedence over all standards in the state building code relative to means of egress.
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III. All new buildings shall conform to the requirements of the state fire code adopted pursuant to RSA 153:5 and to the extent that there is any conflict between the state building code and the state fire code, the state fire code shall take precedence unless otherwise determined by the board, subject to the review provisions contained in RSA 155-A:10.
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IV. To the extent that it does not conflict with any other provision of law, and except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the issuance of permits and the collection of fees pursuant to the state building code is expressly reserved for counties, towns, cities, and village districts. Pursuant to the state fire marshal's authority to enforce the state building code under RSA 155-A:7, I, the fire marshal may establish for municipalities that do not have a building inspector, with approval of the commissioner of safety and by rules adopted under RSA 541-A, fees to defray the cost of issuing building permits in accordance with the state building code. Such fees shall be deposited in the fire standards and training and emergency medical services fund established in RSA 21-P:12-d.
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V. Except for buildings owned by the state or the university system, the issuance of certificates of occupancy pursuant to the state building code is expressly reserved for counties, towns, cities, and village districts.
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VI. Counties, towns, cities, and village districts may adopt by ordinance pursuant to RSA 674:51 any additional regulations provided that such regulations are not less stringent than the requirements of the state building code pursuant to this chapter and the state fire code pursuant to RSA 153.
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VII. For any municipality which has not adopted an enforcement mechanism under RSA 674:51, the contractor of the building, building component, or structure shall notify the state fire marshal concerning the type of construction before construction begins excluding one- and 2-family dwellings.
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VIII. The contractor of a building, building component, or structure shall be responsible for meeting the minimum requirements of the state building code. No municipality shall be held liable for any failure on the part of a contractor to comply with the provisions of the state building code.
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IX. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as amending, repealing, or superseding any local law, ordinance, code, or regulation, except local building code requirements that are less stringent than the state building code, and all buildings, building components, and structures shall comply with all applicable state or local building and fire code requirements, land use restrictions including but not limited to subdivision regulations, use and location restrictions, density and dimensional limitations, or historic district laws or ordinances.
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X. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit or encourage the state to initiate or assume an independent role in the administration and enforcement of the New Hampshire building code for a building or structure that is not owned or operated by the state unless otherwise authorized by law.
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XI. No state agency, authority, board, or commission shall modify the state building code, unless approved by the state building code review board pursuant to RSA 155-A. Nothing in this chapter shall affect the statutory authority of the public utilities commission, the state board for the licensing and regulation of plumbers, or the state electricians' board, to administer their respective programs, provided that any changes to codes adopted under the rulemaking authority of these agencies shall not be implemented until approved by the state building code review board.

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